Building block



April 10, 1928.

L. J. CAMPBELL BUILDING BLOCK Filed June 20, 1925 2 Sheets-$heet 1 April 10, 1928.

1,665,442 L. J. CAMPBELL BUILDING BLOCK Filed June 20, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WIAWAWAWWA it; W AWNmY/V AVA Patented Apr. "10, 1928.

PATENT OFFICE.

men say CAMPBELL, or BUCHANAN, MICHIGAN.

nuzmnmo nznocx.

Application filed June 20, 1925. Serial no. 38,419.

This invention relates to building blocks, and has for one of its objects to provide blocks of a size lar er than the usual run of standard buildin bricks, and having solid front faces scored into units to representa plurality of building bricks, thus allowing for more rapid and economical building for the reason that one block may be laid inthe same time heretofore required for laying a plurality of bricks.

Another object of my invention is to pro vide the blocks with oppositely inclined interfitting projections at their joints so that the blocks will support each other at their joints by solid masses ofblock material extending throughout the extent of the joints.

A further object of my invention is to provide certain of the projections of the blocks with grooves or channels to accommo date rods for tying the blocks together along V their joints.

A still further object of my. invention is to provide these grooved projections with holes or openings extending through the projections to receive nails or bolts for securing the blocks to building elements to the rear thereof, so that the blocks may be either nailed or bolted to a wooden wall, as in brick veneer work, or metal or other lath may be secured to the blocks through these holes or openings. 7

A further object of my invention is to provide blocks which may be commercially and cheaply made and which also may be readily handled even though of sizes much larger than the usual building bricks, and moreover be capable of being made by the present brick making machines or apparatuses with only such slight changes required therein'by reason of the particular contour or shape of the projections at the ends of the blocks.

The invention consists further in the matters hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings- Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a wall composed of my improved blocks;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 4: and 5 are enlarged detail sectional views, to be hereinafter more fully de-- scribed;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view, with parts in section, showing how the blocks of my invention are laid to make a floor; F

Fig. 7 is a vertical ;sectional view taken on the indirect line 7- 7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 7 to show a detail of construction; and

Figs. 9 and 10 are bottom plan and side views, respectively, on a small scale, of the block to show the application of a strengthening rib thereto.

My improved building blockis shown in perspective in Fig. 3, and is made of clay .The projections of each set have their inclined surfaces 4, 5 in intersecting inclined lanes with the line of intersection extendlng along the projections about mid-way between them. The inclined surfaces 4 of the projections 2 face the, rear of the block, and the inclined surfaces 5 of the projections 3 face the front of the block. The front and rear faces of the projections are flat and .are

parallel to each other and to the fiat solid front face of the block. With reference to these faces, the projections 2 are the front ones, while the projections 3 are the rear ones, the latter having their fiat front faces in the plane of the front face of the block. The side surfaces 6, 6 of the projectionsare straight and at right-angles to the flat front face of the block. As shown in Fig. 3, the

projections 3 at one end of the block a1t-erinclude fourteen bricks.

nate with the similar project-ions at the opposite end of the block, so that the front projections 2 of the several blocks will overlap the rear projections 3 of the adjacent blocks when interfitting.

Fig. 1 shows three blocks laid in a llOIlzontal row to form part of a vertical wall with each block very much larger than the usual run of standard building bricks. As shown, the front face of each block is scored into units 7, 7 to represent a plurality of laid bricks, the blocks in Fig. 1 being of a size to This allows for more rapid and economical building for the reason that one block may be laid in the same time heretofore required for laying fourteen bricks. With the larger blocks less mortar is required, and the wall will be neater in appearance because the outlines of the bricks are uniform and straight with no mortar projecting out between them, and the bricks are not out of line in the wall. The projections are made substantially standard brick in width and approximately half of standard brick length, so that when they interfit ina wall, as in Fig. 1, full brick lengths appear at the joints of the blocks. This gives the appearance of a standard brick wall and gets away from the ap earance of large blocks. The projections fol ow the mortar line of the bricks so as to maintain the finished and neat appearance of the wall.

Fig. 2 shows the manner in which the ro- 'ections 2, 3 at the ends of the blocks over ap.

he projections of one block are received in the spaces between the projections of the adj acent block by moving the blocks into endwise engagement, and, asshown in Figs. 1 and 6, the'p'rojections overlap as to their straight side and inclined surfaces 4, 5, and 6, respectively. When in a vertical wall, the blocks support each other at their joints by 5 their overlapping surfaces 6, 6. The overmade the same as the others, difierin lapping inclined surfaces 4, 5 resist internal as well'as external lateral pressures on the blocks. These inclined surfaces provide supports for the blocks when laid as a floor, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The interfitting projections 2, 3 provide a solid mass throughout the extent of the joints to resist vertical as well as lateral pressures. For corners or 'otherturns in the wall, corner blocks are provided, as shown in Fig. 2. These blocks :ie 0 y in being bent at their ends to the ang es required.

The projections 2, 3 have aligned channels or grooves 8, 8 extending across them in their inclined faces 4, 5, the channelsbeing at the line of intersection of the planes of said inclined surfaces.

Rods 9 extend through the grooves or channels 8 and, as the channels open lengthwise through the inclined faces of the projections, the blocks may be readily engaged be made at smaller cost.

with the rods 9 as the wall progresses by merely hooking the projections over the rods in the application of the blocks to their places in the wall. This avoids threading the blocks on the rods as when closed openings or holes are employed. The mortar or other binder spread on the projections 2, 3 at the time the blocks are laid will be forced into these channels and about the rods 9 when the blocks are forced together during their application in a wall. Mortar may be introduced into these channels after the blocks are laid by pressure or otherwise. Tightening up the rods after the binder has set will draw the projections tightly together into a solid mass along the length of the rods without any internal strain being exerted on the projections, due to the fact that their side surfaces 6, 6 are straight and not on a taper or incline to resist the pull on the rods.

When the blocks are used to make a socalled brick-veneer wall, the blocks are secured to the wooden structure of the wall by nails 10, as shown in Fig. 5. To provide for this, each block has a hole 11 in each of its inner set of projections 3, 3. Thenails are driven through these holes before the next block is applied to cover the heads of thenails and before the rods 9 are inserted in place, if rods are used in such a wall. The heads of the nails being in the channels 8 will hold the blocks in place in the wall. This .construction is shown in detail in Fig. 5 and the wooden structure of the wall includes the sheeting 12, lath 13, and interposed scantling 14.

with a plaster-board or latch facing 17 nailed or otherwise secured thereto. Metal lath could be secured to the projections 3, 3 by wire inserted through the holes 11.

The blocks 1 may be provided with strengthening ribs 18 on their rear faces, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10. These ribs are centrally arranged between the enlarged end portions of the :blocks and are parallel thereto with the ribs at least as high as the end portions, as shown in Fig. 10. With the body portions of, the blocks thinner than the end portions, the blocks take less material in their manufacture and thus may Moreover, the thinness of this body portionv reduces the weight of the blocks and makes them easily handled even thou h of a size to include a dozen or more stan ard bricks. This feature i also of importance in manufacturing the blocks because it enables the blocks to dry faster on being made.

The thicker end portions of the blocks make, with the thinner body portions thereof, air s aces in' the wall formed by the blocks. he projections 2, 3 guide the blocks into engagement on bein laid and align them to make a neat appeii ring wall.

In Figs. 6 and 7, I have shown my improved blocks 1 laid and tied together at their projections to make a floor.. In this structure theblocks are laid horizontal and have tie rods 19 in the channels 8 of the interfitting projections 2, 3. These rods, at their ends, engage the upright flanges 20 of inverted T-beams or other structural steel members 21, as shown. Certain of those members 21 are arranged on the foundation walls 22 and secured thereto by the rods 9 used with the blocks 1, 1 of the upright wall above. The other member 21 is supported by a number of upright columns 23 below the same, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

In order that the blocks 1 on opposite sides of the intermediate beam 21 will not interfere with the tie-rods 19 engaging said beam, the blocks on opposite sides of said beam are staggered or offset to bring the rods in the spaces at the rear of the blocks, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. After the floor is laid, the upper surfaces of the blocks may be covered with any facing material, as con crete 24 in Figs. 6.

To secure the beams 21 to the upright foundation walls 22, 22, the rods 9, 9 extend down through slots 25 in said beams, as shown in Fig. 8. These slots are elongated so that the rods may be adjusted laterally to position them for the blocks to be engaged thereby. To provide suflicient bearing for the rods 9 against the beams 21, the lower ends of the rods project below the beams through tubular sections 26, said sections engaglng upward against the underside of the beams and having washers at their lower ends for the headed ends of the rods, as shownin-Fi 7.

The detail s of structure shown and described may be variously changed and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A building wall composed of an up right rear structure and a plurality of blocks laid in substantially parallel rows in front of said structure, said blocks having a plurality of oppositely inclined front and rear projections at the opposite ends thereof, the projections at each end of the block having their inclined surfaces in planes intersecting between the ends of the projections and with the rear projections alternating with the front ones, said rear projections of each block having holes extending-therethrough from front to rear and covered at their outer ends by the overlapping front projections of the adjacent blocks and fastening members inserted through said holes for securing each block at its opposite ends to said rear structure.

2. A building wall composed of an upright rear structure and a plurality of blocks laid in substantially parallel rows in front of said structure, said blocks having a plurality of oppositely inclined front and rear projections at the opposite ends thereof, the

structure, and rods in the channels for tying the blocks together.

3. A building block having its end portions thicker than its mid-portion, each end portion being shaped to provide a multiplicity of oppositely inclined front and rear projections having their inclined surfaces in planes intersecting between the ends of said projections, the rear projections at each end of the block alternating with the front projections at the corresponding end of the block. a

4. A building block having its end portions thicker than its mid-portion, each end portion being shaped to provide amultiphcity of oppositely inclined front and rear projections having their inclined surfaces n planes intersecting between the ends of said projections, the rear projections having bolt or nail holes therethrough with the rear p rojections at each end of the block alternating with the'front projections at the corresponding end of the block.

5. A building block having its end portions thicker than its mid-portion, each end portion being shaped to provide a multiplicity of oppositely inclined front and rear projections having their inclined surfaces facing the rear and front faces, respectively, of the block and in planes intersecting between the ends of the projections, said projections having grooves or channels extending across the inclined surfaces thereof at the intersection of the planes of the same, the rear projections at each end of the block alternating with the front projections at the corresponding end of the block.

6. A building block having its end por-. tions thicker than its mid-portion, each end portion being shaped to provide a multiplicity of oppositely inclined front and rear prothe intersection of the lanes of the same the jections having their inclined surfaces facrear projections having holes extending ing the rear and front, respectively, of the therethrongh from front to rear from the 10 block and in planes intersectin" between the grooves or channels therein.

5 ends of said projections, sai projections In testimony whereof I affix my signature having aligned grooves or channels extendthis 18th day of June, 1925. ing across the inclined surfaces thereof at LEON JAY CAMPBELL. 

